In Spending, G.O.P. Senators Left Albany Rivals Far Behind

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.

Published: April 20, 2001

ALBANY, April 19—
Republican incumbents in the State Senate spent four times as much as their Democratic challengers during last fall's elections in an effort to hold their majority, according to a report by a liberal group that advocates public financing of election campaigns.

The report by the group, Citizen Action of New York, shows that in tight races in New York City and its suburbs where Republican senators were vulnerable, the party's candidates spent lavishly, with significant help from state Republican Party committees.

The report said the disparity in spending was greatest in Nassau County, where several Republican incumbents held onto their seats despite widespread voter dissatisfaction with the way Republicans had led the county government.

Senator Michael A. L. Balboni, for instance, spent $1.3 million to his opponent's $75,000. Senator Kemp Hannon outspent his opponent eight to one, laying out $651,000 to keep his seat. Senator Dean G. Skelos spent $975,000 to hold his seat, nine times what his opponent spent. Senator Carl L. Marcellino paid $1.2 million to beat back a challenge by Lawrence Silverman, who spent $85,000.

In Westchester County, Senator Nicholas A. Spano, a Republican, spent $1.2 million to win re-election, four times what his opponent spent.

In New York City, Senator Roy M. Goodman of Manhattan spent twice as much as his opponent, Liz Krueger, pumping $1.4 million into his campaign. Senator Guy J. Velella, a Bronx Republican, paid more than any other legislative candidate, spending $2 million, while his challenger, Lorraine Coyle Koppell, spent $499,000, the report said.

In the Assembly, the Democrats, who hold the majority, spent 40 percent more than their Republican rivals overall, a total of about $12 million. None of them were unseated. The highest-spending Assembly race was in Niagara Falls, where Robert A. Daly, a Republican incumbent, lost a close contest to Francine DelMonte, a Democrat. Each spent about $700,000.

Still, in close Assembly races, the Republicans consistently outspent the Democrats, especially where an incumbent was in trouble, the report showed. For instance, James P. Hayes, a Republican incumbent from the Buffalo suburbs, spent $436,804 to narrowly stave off a challenge from a Democrat, Daniel J. Ward, who spent $27,000.

There were a few exceptions to this pattern. In Syracuse, the Democrats poured money into a competitive race between William B. Magnarelli, the Democratic incumbent, and Steven G. DeRegis, a Republican. Mr. Magnarelli spent $645,000 to Mr. DeRegis's $571,000 and won.

The overall pattern that emerges from last year's spending suggests that it takes large amounts of cash to win an election, said Richard Kirsch, the executive director of Citizen Action. In the Senate, winners on average spent four times what losers spent; in the Assembly, winners outspent losers three to one.

In all, 357 candidates in legislative races spent a total of $47 million. Only one incumbent was defeated in the general election, though there were some open seats and incumbents who lost primaries. In landslides, where the winner got more than 65 percent of the vote, winners spent about 12 times more than the losers, the report said.

Blair Horner, the legislative director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, said money was not the only hurdle to challengers. The combination of the way the state's districts are drawn to protect incumbents and the high contribution limits to state party committees -- $76,500 a year per donor -- makes it very hard to beat a sitting lawmaker.

Mr. Kirsch said the report would help arguments for a new campaign finance system that would minimize private contributions and provide an equal amount of public financing to each candidate. Such systems have been tried in Arizona and Maine, he said.

Next week, the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, is expected to introduce a bill that would reduce individual contributions to candidates and severely reduce the amount an individual can give to state party committees, several Democratic lawmakers said. The bill is also expected to provide candidates with $2 of public financing for every $1 they raise on their own up to a certain limit.

''Everybody would be on equal footing,'' said David S. Sidikman, a Long Island Democrat who is the chairman of the Assembly Election Law Committee.